Translate

Sunday, November 30, 2008

More bookshelf

Here are some more items from my bookshelf. No. 15 has a caboodle of my ancestral relatives listed in it. Henry was the brother of my first ancestor, John, to find America on the Dover in 1635, along with his father and brothers Richard, Thomas and William. That Thomas was a Quaker rabble-rouser, causing disturbances at the meetings, etc. John, William, and Thomas lived on Long Island at one time or another, but Henry was there the longest. I was really excited to find this book and since have collected some others along the way. John and Richard settled in Connecticut. My first writing began with the Genealogy of my ancestors, and has now moved on to Westerns.

Most of the books on the list are non-fiction, except for the McMurtry novels, which I haven't got around to reading yet, but are targeted.

14. Fort Gibson - Termination of the Trail of Tears by Brad Agnew15. The Descendants of Thomas Hutchinson of Southold, N.Y., 1666-1982, by Jane Errickson Hutchinson16. Geography of Nebraska by George Evert Condra17. The Nation 1800-1845 by Charles M. Wiltse18. Presbyterian Missionary Attitudes Toward the American Indian, 1837-1893 by Michael C. Coleman19. Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein (I confess I haven't been looking, but may have to start with the markets going kerplop.)20. History's Timeline by Jean Cooke, Ann Kramer, Theodore Rowland Entwistle21. Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647, by William Bradford, Sometime Governor Thereof, Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison (Shucks, he didn't even mention Old John.)22. Fort Worth Stockyards by Horace Craig23. The Savage Years by Brian Connell24. Spanish for Beginners by Charles Duff (This one was picked up in Spain while I was there, but I'm still a beginner in that lingo.)25. Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry26. The Wandering Hill by Larry McMurtry27. Sin Killer by Larry McMurtry28. Boone's Lick by Larry McMurtry (I'm in the process of reading this one.)29. Journal of George Fox edited by John L. Nickalls (George Fox was one of the earliest Quakers. I don't know why I have this one. I've never been a Quaker nor do I plan to become one, but the book is interesting to a degree.)30. Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers (Will get to this one of these days. They tell me it is inspirational.)

I have another list coming, since I've barely touched the surface so far. You are probably wondering, (if anybody is following this) how do I find time to read all this stuff. For the most part, I spent maybe ten years going to bookstores, swap meets, thrift stores, etc, finding books about the West and early America hoping to run across something that explained my family's forefathering and mothering, even volunteering for a couple years at the Genealogy Library and going through book after book. I might say I had some success but hardly enough. One thing I found interesting and exciting was in the Federal Records Archives on microfilm. I was going through some of those one day and ran across my great-great-grandfather James, who was working for the Indian Agent for the Pawnees and Otos in Nebraska, he and his two sons, Aaron and Solomon, from around 1837 to 1847. James was hired as the Farmer for the Agency and was supposed to teach the Indians how the Whites farmed. Aaron was the Blacksmith, and Solomon, age 16 or 17 was the Interpreter. Believe me, I thought I had hit the jackpot! I purchased a copy of the films from the Federal Records Archives and later passed it on to the GenLib so I know where it is if I want to go through it again. Well, back to James for a second. He lost his farmer's job but still resided on the Pawnee Reservation when the Mormons first hit Nebraska and he joined up with them, them making him a Captain of Ten Wagons in the first party with Brigham Young and he traveled to Utah. Aaron, Solomon and his mother remained behind for a couple of months then followed him in 1847. Aaron stayed in Nebraska as far as I can determine and was never heard from again on record.

And after composing four or five books for family use only on family history, etc., I decided to try my hand at a Western. So, that's the short story.

I passed on to my nephew a book, The Texas Cattle Drivers, I think it was, which is a compilation of memoirs by the people concerned with driving cattle to Kansas or other places. I should have kept it for reference, besides being expensive. It was very interesting and informative and recommended reading for those interested in what really happened.